Reinforcing device for railway-ties.



J. F. BODY. REINFOROING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY TIES.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 16. 1910.

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' J"- ffiB 0 $3913 M aflozncus Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

UTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REINFOBCING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY-TIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application filed August 15, 1910. Serial No. 577,256.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn F. Bony, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Reinforcing Devices for Railway- Ties; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to cross ties and more particularly to a reinforcing device for preventing splitting of the wood at the opposite ends of the tie incident to driving the rail retaining spikes.

In preparing cross ties for road beds, the ties after being cut and shaped are generally piled in tiers along the track or other convenient point and allowed to dry out or season until ready for use. As the sap dries out, there is a shrinkage in the wood which tends to split the tie at the opposite ends thereof with the result that when the cross ties are positioned on a road bed, and the rail engaging spikes driven home, said spikes open up the cracks or interstices and frequently cause the tie to split throughout its entire length, thus rendering the spikes insecure and permitting the rai s to spread.

The object of the present invention is to obviate these objectionable features and to reinforce and strengthen the tie by the provision of metallic binding members adapted to be driven into the wood at the. opposite ends of the tie, thereby to prevent splitting of said tie and insure a firm anchorage for the rail engaging spikes.

A further Ob ect of the invention is to provide a binding member for cross-ties including a hollow body portion having a driving head or face and provided with circumferential corrugations which pierce the wood and hold the fibers thereof together and at the same time prevent accidental displacement of said member.

A further object is to provide a bindin member the construction of which is suci that the binder may be applied to the cross ties either before or after the tie is positioned on a road bed.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices, so as to increase their utility, durability and efliciency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a erspective view of a portion of a railroad track, showing a cross tie provided with a binding member constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the binder detached. Fig. 3 1s a detail longitudinal sectional view of a portion of one of the ties showing the binder embedded in the end thereof. Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of binder. Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating a further modification. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the binder shown in Fig. 5 driven into a cross tie. Fig. 7 is a detail lon itudinal sectional view illustrating a furt er modification. Figs. 8 to 10 inclusive are transverse sectional views showing different forms of binders. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an S-shape binder.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

The improved binder forming the subject-matter of the present invention is principally designed for use on the cross ties of electric, steam or street railway tracks and by way of illustration is shown applied to the cross ties of a section of railway track, in which 5 designates the cross ties, 6 the rails and 7 the fastening devices or spikes for retaining the rails in position on said cross ties.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the binder is in the form of a hollow body portion or ferrule 8 preferably elliptical in shape and rolled, cast or otherwise formed of metal, one end of said body portion or ferrule being provided with a cutting ed e having teeth or serrations 9 and the other end thereof provided with a driving face by means of which the binder may be driven into the end of across tie, as bestshown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

The, metal constituting the body of the binder betweenthe teeth 9 and drivi head or face 10 is preferably corrugated circumfere'ntially at '11 so as to hold the fibers of the Wood together and also to assist in preventing accidental displacement of the binder after being driven into thetie. The metal forming the corrugated zone ofthe binder is preferabl stamped or punched to form a plurality 0 anchoring spurs 12 disosed in staggered relation and adapted to liite into the wood and assist in preventing accidental displacement of said binder when the cross tie is subjected to jars or vibration incident to the passage of cars or other railway rolling stock. These spurs12 are preferably disposed at the apexes of the exterior ribs or corrugations, while the bills thereof normally project slightly beyond the exterior Wall of the binder so that as said binder is driven into the cross tie, the spurs will engage the wood, as will be readily understood.

The binders preferably extend two or more inches ina direction of the length of the tie so that should the spikes enter one of the cracks or interstices in said tie when fastening the rail 6 in position, the binder 8 will prevent thespikes from wedging open the split or crack and causing the tie to split throughout its entire length.

The metal forming the end-walls of the body portion is extended longitudinally and thickened to form oppositely disposed tangs 13 which facilitate driving-the binder into the cross tie. These driving tangs 13, as well as the body of the binder may be made smooth and unobstructed, but it is preferred to corrugate said body portion and tangs and to provide the latter with one or more spurs let-to assist in anchoring the binder in the body of the tie. Thus it will be seen that when the binder is driven into the end of a cross tie the corrugated walls thereof will hold or bind the fibers of wood together so as to effectually prevent splitting of either the ends or body of the tie when the .rail fastening devices are driven home.

The driving head or face 10 may be arranged so as to bear against the outer face of the cross tie at the end thereof, as shown inFig. 1, or if desired, the driving head or face may be flattened and entirely embedded in the end of the cross-tie as indicated at 14 in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing there is illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the body of the binder is in the form of a transversely corrugated plate 15 having its rear end inclined or beveled and pro vided with teeth or serrations 16. In this form of the device the edges of the plate are formed with segmental wings 17, each provided with a driving head 10 and a cutting edge 18, there bein one or moreanchoring spurs 19 formed 1n the wings as shown.

In the form of the devices shown in Fi s.

instead of being elliptical in shape may be I provided with flat upper and lower walls 21 and tapered side-walls22, as best shown in Fig. 8 of the drawing, in which case the cutting edges 23 formed at the intersection of the tapered side-walls 22 will bite into the wood and prevent accidental displacement of the binder.

The binder shown'in Fig. 9 is provided with longitudinal corrugations 11" extending from the driving head to the cutting edge thereof so as to produce a continuous roughened surface for engagement with the tie.

If desired, however, the ferrule may be rectangular in shape, as indicated at 24 in which case one end of the ferrule will beprovided with a driving head or face and the other end thereof provided with a cutting edge similar in construction to the driving head and cutting edge shown in Fig' 5 of the drawing.

- A still further modification is illustrated in Fig. 11 in which the body of the binder is of substantially Ssh-ape formation, the,

opposite ends of the metal forming the body of the binder being extended longitudinally to produce tangs 13', and the inner edge of the metal between the tangs being formed with serrations or teeth 9'.

It is to be understood that the reinforcing devices or "binders may be driven into the ends of the cross ties after the latter are shaped and piled along a railway track to dry out or season, or said binders may be driven into the cross ties after said ties are placed on a road bed and the rails fastened thereto without departing from thespirit of the invention. a 1

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. A binder for-cross-ties comprising a hollow corrugated body-portion having one end thereof provided with a drivin face, and its side walls formed with'latera 1y extending anchoring spurs. 2. A binder for cross ties comprising a hollow body portionhaving one .end thereof hollow body portion having one end thereof provided with a driving face and its other end formed with a cutting edge adapted to f be driven into the end of a cross tie, the side walls of the body portion between the cutting edge and driving face being pro: vided with upstruck spurs, the bills of which are extended in the direction of saidldriving face. 1

4. The combination with a cross-tie," of a hollow circumferentially corrugated blnder embedded in the end of the tie to prevent splitting thereof, the corrugations of the binder beingprovided with laterally extend ing 7 anchoring spurs.

5. The comblnatlon wlth a cross t1e,ofa hollowfbmder adapted to be embedded in a the cross tie and having one end thereof provided with a driving face and its other end formed with oppositely disposed driving tangs.

6. The combination with a cross tie, of a hollow binder adapted to be driven in the end thereof and having one end rovided with a driving face and its ot ier end formed with oppositely dis osed driving tangs, there being teeth forme on the binder between the driving tan'gs, and anchoring spurs extending laterally from the binder between the teeth andidriving head thereof.

7. A binder for cross tiesinclnding a corrugated body portion having one end thereof provided with a driving face and its other end enlarged to form a sharp edge adapted to be driven into the end of said cross tie.

8. A binder for cross tics including a hollow body portion having one end thereof thickened to form a driving face, and its other end provided with lon itudinally disposed tangs, the exterior wal s of which are provided with anchoring spurs, there being teetlrforniedbnt-he body portion between theftangs, and anchoring spurs formed on said body portion between the teeth and drivingfacc. H

9. A binder for cross ties comprising a hollow circumferentially corrugated metallic body portion having one end thereof provided wit'lr'a-driving face and its other end cutaway to form oppositely disposed tangs theinetal a t' thedcut away portion being serratedtto'form teeth disposed between said lung's, there' beil rg anchoring spurs extending liaterally-from-thegbody portion at the apices of the corrugations.

":10. A bin'der'for cross ties comprising a hollowsubstantially elli )tical metallic body portion having one cut thereof provided with a drivin'gface and its other end cut awayrto"formfspaced longitudinally disposed tangs, therebeing teeth formed on the body portion between said tangs, and corrugations extending eircumfercntially of the body portion between the teeth and driving face, said corrugations being also formed on the tangs.

11. A binder for cross ties comprising a hollow body portion having one end thereof formed with a driving face and its other end provided with an edge adapted to be driven into the end of a cross tie, the side walls of the body portion being provided with laterally extending anchoring devices.

12. A binder for cross ties comprising a hollow elliptical shaped body portion having substantially parallel interior walls and rovided at one end thereof with a driving fitcc, the other end of the body portion being formed with a cutting edge adapted to be driven into the end of a cross tie.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses;

JOSEPH F. BODY. [11. s.]

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. AGKER, W. N. Woonson. 

